Process of preparing skins



UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE HENRY FARTHING,

on SAN Josn, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS OF PREPARING SKINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,828, dated September 1, 1891..

Application filed May 12, 1890. Serial No. 351,516. (Specimena) To all whom it 17mg concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY FARTH- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Method and Process of Treating Leather; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appert-ains to make, use, and practice the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the process of treatin g leather, more especially for glove-making purposes, as will hereinafter more fully appear in the specification.

The object of my invention consists in so treating the dry skin as to produce asmooth, unbroken, and uniform velvety surface to the leather, so as to greatly enhance the value thereof, and at the same time to provide for the cheaper and more effectual treatment of the same. The process or method of treatment is more particularly applicable to skins previously treated and known to the trade as dry alum-tanned skins, although the same is not necessarily confined to this class, for I am well aware of the fact that skins prepared and tanned in other Ways may be effectually treated by my process.

My invention consists in rubbing upon the grain surface of the tanned skin a coating of ordinary bark liquid used in tanning and of proper consistency, or other liquid, which when dry will form a hard surface-coating. After allowing the skin to stand in this condition a sufficient length of time as will suffice to hardenthe coating or outer surface I remove the same by the application of emery or pumice-stone, or their equivalent. ith this removal of the outer coating a sufficient amount of the grain is taken off as will suffice to leave a smooth, unbroken, velvety coating behind, usually about one-half of the grain. This removal of the grain is termed splitting or dividing of the grain. By this method of only partially instead of wholly removing or dividing the grain I am enabled to utilize the entire grain surface of the skin without any waste whatever.

I-Ieretofore in the treatment of skins the flank portion thereof becomes virtual-1y useless, except for utilizationin inferior class of gloves. This is due to the fact that by the old method of treatment the whole of the grain is removed, and inasmuch as the flank portion of the skin is the thinnest the entire removal of the grain leaves not sufficient basis for the leather, besides, owing to such removal being accomplished through the medium of the beam-knife, the greatest amount of care must necessarily be taken in order to provide against cutting of the skin. Again, such removal leaves a rough and ragged surface to the grain face of the skin, while by my method of treatment a smooth velvety surface is the result. Further, the removal (partial) of the grain after the skin has been treated according to my method does not have to be accomplished by an expert remover, inasmuch as the depth of the coating or enamel indicates the necessary amount of grain to be taken off from the surface of the skin in order to produce the desired effect. Thus such coating acts not only as an incrusting surface for the grain, but as a guide for the dividing or removal thereof. The application of the emery or pumice-stone may be by hand or machinery, as the manufacturer may elect.

I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the preparation of leather for glovemaking purposes, for I am aware that leather treated and finished according to the above description may be employed for various purposes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is

1. The method or process of preparing previously tanned skins, which consists in subjecting the grain surface thereof to the application of a bark liquid, so as to produce a hard surface, then removing the same by splitting or dividing the grain, whereby a soft out-er velvety surface is produced, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of preparing previouslytanned'skins, consisting in subjecting the grain surface thereof to the application of an outer coating of bark liquid, allowing the same to harden, then removing the same by removing the hardened surface,- and by the emery, pumice-stone, or otherwise, so as to spllt or divlde the grain, thereby leaving a smooth velvety surface, substantially as set forth. a

3. The method or process of partially re moving the grain surface of previouslytanned skins, so as to utilize a portion of said grain surface, which consists in, first, harden- 1 10 mg the surface of the grain, and, secondly,

removal splitting or dividing the grain, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in. the presence of Witnesses. V

GEORGE HENRY FARTHING. In presence of- D. D. TENNYsoN, J. H. FARTHING. 

